Exploring Reykjavik by Foot

After a bit of a sleep in, Sissy and I had breakfast in the red building behind the main part of the hostel and then she attempted to figure out some work issues while I plugged away on my blog. By mid-afternoon, I decided to go for a walk to try and make it out to the breakwater that I had seen a few days before with Linda. There was an industrial type area that was much larger than I expected on the peninsula but a kilometre later and I’d found a walking path along the waterfront and then found one of the main breakwaters. It was a narrow walkway out to a little yellow lighting station that you could not walk two people abreast. I scared all but 4 birds, cormorants and ducks, which were resting 6 feet below me on the lee side of the concrete structure...sorry dudes, but there was no other way for me to get out to the end. I then back tracked and decided to follow the coastline to the west.

Mount Esja, the back drop of Reykjavik:




Looking back towards Reykjavik:


The breakwater:


I made my way to a church on a grassy hill that would have been sublime for playing bocce. From there I could see the south side of Reykjavik and back towards Keflavik, the airport. Inspired, I cruised along some walkways through a neighbourhood towards a lighthouse called Grótta. Realizing that time was getting short as I was to meet Sissy back at the hostel in 45 minutes, I began a combination of walking and jogging, trying not to overheat since I was wearing my fleece pants under my shell. I almost reached the lighthouse where I discovered that it is essentially on an island with a couple hundred meters of large boulders lined up to make a bridge across. Well, I’d made it this far, should a cross? Sure, but once I was half way, I looked at my watch, yikes, only 35 minutes to make it back to the hostel and it had to be 5-6 kilometers away...time to huff it back.

Bocce anyone?


A sculpture by the church:


Typical Reykjavik neighborhood:


Grotta Lighthouse:


The trail along the waterfront reminded me a bit of Dallas Road in Victoria. I jogged a few kilometers and then found the coolest and probably the best water fountain I can recall. It was an upright, obelisk shaped dark rock with a 2-3 inch thin stream of super tasty, cold water shooting up from the middle and then cascading down the side. I stuck my mouth over it and the water effortlessly flowed down my throat...yum!

Awesome water fountain:


Strange circular hot pool by the sea...hot tub for one?


Nice Grafitti:


I did make it back on time and in fact Sissy wasn’t there yet. I took a shower and then she appeared and she planned to skype her mom in Germany so I grabbed a few groceries and began working on a noodle soup for dinner. It took longer than expected, both me cooking and Sissy skyping and we were almost half an hour late in meeting Osk and Kolla but thankfully they were 20 minutes late themselves. We chatted in a coffee/bar for an hour or two and then parted ways. They were super friendly Icelanders...as everyone seems to be in this country.

Where did I see this in Iceland?


Ah...it was just in the men's washroom:


And this is what was in the women's washroom (no, I didn't take the pic...Sissy did!):


My new friends, Osk, Kolla and Sissy:


Another great day in Iceland!